#UBAR BIBLE FULL#

#UBAR BIBLE FULL#

There are four aspects to the issue of abortion in Jewish tradition: (1) the legal status of the embryo/fetus, (2) the time of ensoulment, (3) conditions under which a therapeutic abortion may take place, and (4) conditions under which a non-therapeutic abortion may take place.Īccording to Jewish law, a fetus is not considered a full human being and has no juridical personality of its own. Nonetheless, out of this complex diversity a clear, general concept can be adduced from the centuries of Jewish tradition and it is that concept which this article will address.

Especially during the 20th century, the increased diversity of traditions and practices within the Jewish community has naturally led to a diversity of approaches to the abortion issue. Within the context of an overriding Jewish concern for the sanctity of human life, legal authorities have relied largely on individual cases and derivative legal concepts in determining when an abortion may take place. Its complexity is due, in large measure, to the reluctance of Jewish legal authorities to establish a single principle by which to determine the morality of abortion. The issue of abortion in Jewish life is both complex and multi-faceted, with roots going back to the Bible.

These are the guiding principles on abortion in Jewish tradition: a woman’s life, her pain, and her concerns take precedence over those of the fetus existing life is always sacred and takes precedence over a potential life and a woman has the personal freedom to apply the principles of her tradition unfettered by the legal imposition of moral standards other than her own.

Summary | Whatever their opinions on abortion in any given situation, a vast majority of Jewish thinkers agree that decision-making with respect to abortion must be left in the hands of the woman involved, who may consult her husband, her physician, and her rabbi.

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